Art Happens

A page from my art journal

2012-01-24T08:40:00.000-06:00

January Girl

January Girl has learned so much. Some simple little truths have finally dawned on her. Little words that she knew to be true never made so much sense until now. Stop worrying about the small stuff is one that is so simple but so hard to do. Learning to enjoy the moment instead of looking to the future and crying about the past is another. She has learned to just let it go. Most of all she has realized how controlling she has been. It feels so good to let someone else decide. She has realized she can not have faith and still be fearful. She now understands she can not be supportive if she is always criticizing.
Night and day, light and dark can not occupy the same space at the same time.
Simple little truths that mean so much are sometime very hard to grasp. Yea for January Girl! These things have finally dawned on her.

xoxoxo
Charlie

Apartment Life

2012-01-05T16:52:00.002-06:00

"Hello I love You"

I took this photo in New York last year and love how it turned out. I love the color pop effect. (Lyrics by the Doors, written on a stairway, leading up somewhere, maybe to someones apartment/home.) Too cool! AND I'm looking through a doorway at all of this. How neat! I wish I could remember where I took this photo. Probably somewhere near China Town. I think we were on our way there, but not sure.

If you keep up with my blog you know I am going through some major changes. We sold our home after 25 years. We are living in an apartment and believe it or not..... I'm having fun! I feel like I'm on vacation. I have always wanted to move into a cottage by the sea for the summer, or rent a cabin for the winter, or better yet live in a teeny apartment in New York city. But who has money for that???? Only in the movies.
I've decided this is the next best thing. Having most of my stuff in storage and knowing this is temporary is very nice. Things are really simple. A little boring at times since I don't have "my stuff". I'm getting an itching to paint but oh well. I'll try to do more photoshop.
I'm sure I'll be ready to move out soon enough, especially if and when we find a house.

Wish us luck so that we will find the perfect home, because I don't want to live here forever. Lol!

Hugs,
Charlie

2011-12-13T13:02:00.004-06:00

It's over! We have moved and are out of our house. We sold our house after 25 years. We are living in an apartment temporarily! The picture above is what it looks like outside of the apartment.

I did not think I was going to make it! Seriously! I did all the packing. It took me about a month to pack all the little nik nakky stuff....(decorations, wall pictures, kitchen stuff, (which took me a week and a half all by itself), attic, garage stuff, extra bedroom and bathroom stuff, my studio and on a side note we took two flat -bed trailer loads of my yard stuff to my sister -in- laws place who lives out in the county). I can not believe all the crap we have accumulated!

We rented a 10 x 30 storage unit for most of everything and the rest went into the apartment with us. It took the movers 12 hours to move us. In the rain... I might add. Nothing is easy! It never rains in Texas but the day I want to move it rains! We are in a 7 year drought so go figure. And it was cold too!
I'm so glad it's over. I can finally relax and enjoy Christmas.

I'm really enjoying the change. It's a small apartment but it's cozy and very pet friendly. The path way outside of the apartment is perfect for walking Max. I think he likes it too. He is old so he doesn't care to go outside that much anymore.

I'm so glad we did this move. It was a dramatic change for us but we needed it. I'm so grateful we sold our home especially in this economy, but actually San Antonio's economy is not that bad.

I think it hit me one day that I could not bare to live in the same place for the rest of my life. We had to do something now or just forget about it. We are no spring chickens and this move just about killed my back.

Most of my art supplies are in the storage unit. I tried to bring a few basic items along with me to the apartment, so I wont be doing much painting for a while....hopefully I can do journal work and quick sketches. Obviously my Etsy shop is closed because I put all of that stuff in storage.

After the first of the year I will get with my realtor and start looking for a house. I can't wait for that.
Then moving starts all over again. It may take me awhile to get back into art. I'm hoping to open another Etsy shop after I get settled or just totally revamp my currant one.

I think now that things have settled down I will be able to relax and get out the depression. I sure hope so.
Everyone have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Hugs,
Charlie

Status Update

2011-11-04T09:30:00.000-05:00

Pumpkin Girl

Did this painting last month before the madness hit the fan.

I feel I need to explain what has been going on with me. I have been going through some crazy feelings lately. I blame it on symptoms related to menopause, but who knows :)..... I've been real emotional and crying at the drop of a hat at everything.
This summer we decided to put our house on the market. We have been considering this for a long time. It was a hard decision. We listed it the end of August and got an offer the end of October. It is under contract so nothing is set in stone.
I've been reluctant to say anything about this because I don't want to jinx anything. I'm stressed about the move because we do not have a place to go if we sell. We will have to put everything in storage and rent until we find something else. This was our decision because we did not want to buy until we sold the old house.
I'm basically in limbo. I can't pack or do much until I know for sure the sale will go through. I'm excited and sad at the same time. We have a couple of hurdles to go through first. It may all fall flat and the sale may not go through. Like they say "it's not over until the fat lady sings". With all the emotions I've been going through I'm not sure I care anymore. I'm exhausted. If it sells it sells, if not,.... oh well. I can live here another 25 years.
This sort of explains my absence here. I'm going crazy. I hate not knowing. I'll try to keep you posted but who knows if I'll have internet.

Girl Painting

2011-10-13T09:54:00.000-05:00

Christi Ballerina

This little girl painting is for my niece Christi. It will be her Christmas gift. I finished her a few weeks ago and I'm already on to the next one. The painting I'm working on now is giving me all kinds of trouble. Not sure why????? I can't draw an eye to save my soul!
Mamma said there'd be days like this.
I'm so glad the weather has changed. We had a brutal summer here in south Texas. It is actually in the 80's right now. So perfect! I can drag my art supplies outside to work and even turn off the air and open all the windows.
The weather has also inspired me to clean out my closets. I'm in a real chunking mood. I want to get rid of everything. All of a sudden I can't stand clutter. Go figure!
Have a great October.
Hugs,
Charlie

Video of My Newest Painting

2011-09-07T13:15:00.001-05:00

This is "Gothic Princess"

It's all about the journey!

How about my first attempt at a video on my iPhone?

I thought a video view of my new painting would be nice. Hopefully you can see all the yummy textures. Sorry for the jerkiness but iphones are pretty sensitive.....or either I'm just a terrible videographer. She will be for sale over at Charlotte's Collection on Etsy soon. I still have a few things I ned to do to her before I can list her.

On another note I'm listing a few vintage postcards as digital downloads in my Etsy store...trying something new. Again!

I'm still missing my kitty. Thanks to all of you who commented. I appreciate it. It will take time to get over it.

Have a great week.

In Memory of....

2011-08-26T14:34:00.000-05:00

Tangi

I am so depressed. My sweet kitty got hit by a car last Friday morning. I got her as a kitten in January of this year. She was not quite a year old, but she touched my heart in so many ways. I miss her so much. I can't believe I'm still mourning the loss a week later.
We put flyers out around the neighborhood early Saturday morning and someone called a few hours later to say they saw a cat that looked very much like her on the side of this busy street. The city or some good soul must have picked up her body because she was not there when we went to look.
I'm not sure how long it will take me to get out of this funk. I can hardly go outside without looking for her or thinking she is going to run past me like white greased lightning like she used to do.
It's been unbelievably hard.
:(

Summer Paper Doll

2011-08-12T09:53:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone! How's your summer going? I'v been super busy. I finished this painting a few weeks ago and I'm just now getting around to posting her. Luck has it that Inspiration Avenue's challenge this week is Sun Kissed. I thought my girl in retro swimsuit would be a good fit. Yes her outfit is supposed to be a forty's ish swimsuit. I tried a little different approach this time. Her face is very minimal. Drawn on scrapbook paper as is the rest of her body. So much fun....I'll have to do more.

Well got to go I'm having a garage sale tomorrow and have to make the signs, get change and finish pricing.

Enjoy the rest of your summer!

Sale at Charlottes Collection Etsy shop

2011-07-25T13:50:00.001-05:00

Super Summer Sale

at Charlottes Collection

25% Off

Everything!

http://www.charlottescollection.etsy.com/

Use coupon code Summer11

Inspiration Avenue Weekly Challenge

2011-06-29T08:26:00.002-05:00

Hi everyone I'm hosting this weeks challenge at Inspiration Avenue. I decided on Nursery Rhymes. I have not hosted one in awhile because I could not come up with any good ideas. Not that this one is so great, it just popped into my head and so I went with it. Ideas and inspiration happen upon me this way most of the time. I do things intuitively without really understanding why I do it. For example why I pick one color over another when painting. It's like my hand just reaches for it without much thought. Most of the time when this happens it works. When I try to hard I find it does not work.

I know I'm rambling on about stuff that I'm sure most artist understand.

My entry is a portrait of Goldilocks.

Goldilocks and the three bears is one of my favorites. I have so many favorites, it was hard to choose.

"Goldilocks"

My obsession with painting the female face continues.

And my frustration with blogger continues. I have stopped blogging because I hate blogger. It just does whatever it wants.....like why has the size of my type gone so small????? and I cant copy and paste anymore.

I'm just going to ignore it and go on. I don't have time to mess with this blog!!!!!!

Hugs,
Charlie

Flea Market

2011-06-14T09:55:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite excursions while in Rome was going to the flee market Sunday morning in the neighborhood of Trastevere. What a charming place to visit and so unlike the rest of Rome. More and more tourist are making the trek across the river. I guess you can't keep a good thing secret for very long.

A beautiful must see church, one of the oldest in Rome called "Santa Maria In Trastevere" is there.

"Santa Maria In Trastevere"

This picture is not that great. You can't see the intricate detail. It's all mosaics. Unbelievable! This is par for Roman Catholic Churches.

After the flea market we walked around and found this lovely piazza with these musicians playing.

We drank blood red orange juice and ate snacks. Yummmmm!

I have so many pictures that I can't possibly show them all or talk about them all. I tried to put them together on a digital stick and they would not fit. I guess I'll have to buy a bigger flash drive. It's always something. This concludes the first week of my trip. I still have a week to go mostly Cinque Terre. That place was gorgeous. Oh my gosh....I already want to go back. So romantic!

Sacred Ancient Symbolic Art

2011-05-14T09:47:00.000-05:00

Rome is full of this sort of religious wall art. They are on the buildings outside almost on every street. It does not matter if the street is a quaint little side street or busy and crowded. I was so enthralled by them all.

I loved the canopies and shelving like in this one above.

I have made these and some of my other Rome photos into art cards. I've decided to sell them on Etsy. I guess I had an ah ha moment, so for now I'm back up and running on Etsy.

This week Inspiration Ave's theme is religious art so I'm entering these.Click the link to check out more art.

Thanks for looking.

Charlie

Day Six Orvieto

2011-05-10T12:18:00.000-05:00

Pottery In Orvieto

Duomo Of Orvieto

View From Orvieto

On the sixth day of my Roman Holiday we took a day trip to Orvieto. What fun to get out of the big city of Rome! More fun was taking the train! We saw all kinds of neat things including gypsies. I wish I could have taken pictures of them. A funicular takes you up to the top to where the city is located. I never rode one of those before. We went to Orvieto because it is known for its pottery and they were having a special pottery market in the town square that morning. We missed the early train so we did not make it to the market, oh well. We still got to go shopping and I got a couple of small items anyway.

Orvieto is in the wine region of Italy, so they have their own wine as well. It's a white wine. We tried it at a local restaurant. It was very good, loved it. It's also known for that beautiful church, picture above. It's called the Duomo of Orvieto. I wish I could have stayed in Orvieto longer. It was beautiful!

Street Scene In Orvieto

Inspiration Avenue Charity Auction for Angel Faces

2011-05-01T11:55:00.000-05:00

Inspiration Avenue is having it's annual charity auction today. Stop by the link here and look through some great art and make a bid or two. All money goes to benefit Angel Faces.

Change

2011-04-27T10:25:00.000-05:00


La Celestial

I started her before the trip to Rome. I'm so very happy that when I got back I was able to pick up where I left off and finish her. She is my mother earth but more. She is everything girly that I love including all my favorites: a pink dress, flowers, butterflies,stars and a halo of flowers. To give her hair texture I used embroidery thread. That was fun doing and I think it really turned out well. This photo does not do the painting justice. There are so many layers and textures you can not see in this photo and the color is much more vibrant.

I will continue blogging about my trip to Rome here soon.

I'm trying to figure out what I want to do with my art. What direction to go? Before the trip I was so scattered with my thoughts and lost a lot of my creativity. I know it had a lot to do with the trip. I was just too excited about going. I have let my Etsy store go to the wayside. I'm tired of the things I have in there, so I'm letting everything expire and then I guess I'll have to do a makeover. In the mean time I have joined a new art web site that sells your photos for you and gives choices of prints, canvases or framed prints. It is called imagekind. I have always loved taking pictures and I feel I have a pretty good eye. I have tons of photos that I have taken in the past which are beautiful and are begging to be shared. I've wanted to sell them on Etsy but could not come up with a feasible way to offer them to the public. This site does it for you. I don't have to run across town to get giclee prints made, pay for them and then hope they sell on Etsy. Also I ran into the same problem with making giclee prints of my art. This is something I'm working on now. I still have to make a great photo of the art. I think a new camera might be in the near future. Next problem is Etsy. I really don't want to shut it down. I'm thinking and pondering and pondering and wondering. Hummmm? What to do ??? What to do? Change in in order.

Vatican Museum

2011-04-18T21:01:00.000-05:00

Exit door

We finally made to the Vatican Museum. This was the number one site I wanted to see in Rome other then St Peters Basilica. I guess I was not sure what to expect. It was a lot bigger then I thought and tons of unbelievable art! I wish I could have taken more pictures, but it was so crowded. people were always in the way and I felt like cattle being herded through. Even so, I was not disappointed.

Map Gallery

Other then the Sistine Chapel, the map gallery, tapestry room and the Raphael rooms are my favorite. You can not help but gawk at everything. I was so busy staring I did not have the inclination to take many shots. No one could take pictures in the Sistine Chapel anyway. I'm not sure why they let you take photos in the other rooms. The art in the Raphael rooms are awesome too.

The School Of Athens by Raphael

This one by Raphael is interesting because it has all the great thinkers gathered together in this one painting/fresco. I like it because he painted Michelangelo into it as well. Raphael was in this room painting while Michelangelo was painting the Sistine Chapel. Maybe a little competition was going on....who knows.

Michelangelo by Raphael

You can get an idea of how big Raphael's paintings are just by the size of this photo. This is a picture I took of Michelangelo from the painting The School of Athens right above. Pretty cool!

I'm so glad I had my Rick Steves' book. A tour guide would have been needed if I did not have his book. I really don't think I missed anything by not purchasing a professional guide. But I have to stress you do need something whether it's a tour guide or tour guide book. There is too much to see. You might miss something important and may not know what you are looking at.

The Sistine chapel is case in point. There is so much on the ceiling, you can not possibly know what it all means.

Another day in Rome

2011-04-14T19:31:00.000-05:00


View from top of Castel Sant' Angelo

View from top of Castel Sant' Angelo

St Peter's Basilica

The day we toured the Castel Sant' Angelo we thought we were going to have it easy. Well, you can't tour a castle without taking a hike all the way to the rooftop. It was a lot more walking then we anticipated. However it was well worth it just to see the beautiful views represented in the photos above.

After the castle tour we walked to Piazza Novona, a busy piazza we visited on our first day in Rome. Jerry rested his knees at one of picturesque cafes while drinking wine and people watching. I shopped, toured more churches, drank a little wine and ate gelato, not in that order :)
Not a bad way to spend the day in Rome.

Piazza Novona

Enjoy!
Charlie

Around Ancient Rome

2011-04-12T20:34:00.002-05:00


Arch of Constantine

We are in the Colosseum looking from a birds eye view over some of Romes ancient ruins. This is the arch of Constantine. Emperor Constantine made Christianity legal in 312 AD. Before that one was killed for believing in Christianity. I'm sure you might have watched the movies where Christians were thrown out to be slaughtered by the gladiators....maybe even in the Colosseum.

Ruins

Another Church

Margaret here checking to see if the door to this church was open. All the churches in Rome close form 12 noon to 3:30 or 4:00 p.m. We missed visiting a slew of churches just because we were site seeing in the middle of the afternoon. Oh well that meant we took lots of cappuccino breaks or wine and cheese breaks depending on our mood. Many of the restaurants close during these hours too (not so much in the touristy areas). I think it's their siesta time.

Guess who this is.

We walked and walked around the Roman Forum and Palentine Hill. Not too many shots were taken during this part of our excursion. These two sites were not my favorite part of the journey, but I'm sure being dead tired on my feet had a lot to do with it.

Oh well.... but.... we still had time to go look for one more church before we left the area and that was St Peter in Chains Church. I had to find this church because it had a Michelangelo in it.

Michelangelo's Moses

This ended day 3 in Rome.

My Roman Holiday Continues

2011-04-11T21:22:00.002-05:00

Ruins around Colosseum

Touring the Colosseum

Inside Colosseum

Colosseo

Is this cool or what?
Rome is so old.

This day was our first day on our own. No Marcia to lead us around. We messed up a little getting off the metro and got really turned around. We did a lot of unnecessary walking. However, I thought it was a good thing because we needed to figure out how to get around by ourselves with the map.

Sooo by the time we were to tour the Roman Forum I was so tired that I did not enjoy it at all. Here are a few pictures of ancient Rome and the Roman Forum.

Ok blogger is making me mad. It refuses to let me hit carriage return. It is loading pictures wherever it pleases. I'm not going to be able to finish this post. I'll see you tomorrow.

Day Two Roman Holiday

2011-04-08T08:36:00.001-05:00


Fountain of Trevi

Here I am at the Fountain of Trevi. I'm not too crazy about this picture of me.....bad hair day. My flat iron did not fit properly with the converter I brought for the outlet conversions,so it did not work at all the whole time we were there. Everyone said I looked more European with the curly hair...yeah right :) Oh well I let it go and now it's part of my new year, new me motto. I'm not straightening my hair anymore....at least more then not.


Santa Maria del Popola

This church has two Caravaggio's in it. Wow this boggles my mind. This is just another church out of many that are unassuming outside and amazingly beautiful inside. Unfortunately too dark for pictures, and you cant' take pictures of the Caravaggio's anyway.


Spanish Steps

This area around the Spanish steps is a fun gathering place for everyone day and night. Streets leading up to this piazza have some high end shopping.


Spanish Steps at Night

Sorry about the blurry picture, but I'm not that great of a photographer and night time shots are hard for me. I love to take pictures at night though.


Night time in Rome

This street is just off the piazza close to the Spanish steps. Ok we did not spend all day at the Spanish steps. We came back here in the evening on another night.


Inside a Church

I don't know the name of this church. It is one of many we stumbled onto on our second day in Rome. I can't read Italian and it was not mentioned in my tour book. Just another church in Rome, no famous art inside just amazingly beautiful!


Basilica San Marco

Ok here is another church. I hope you don't get tired of churches.

Our third day in Rome we toured the Colosseum and the Roman Forum.
More pictures to come.
Hugs,
Charlie

Roman Holiday

2011-04-06T16:48:00.002-05:00

Pantheon

St Peter's Basilica Square

On the first day we saw Piazza Novona, the Pantheon and St Peters Basilica. Three sites that were on my must see list. St Peter's Basilica is awesome. It is huge! Huge does not say enough. It has some unbelievable art: Michelangelo, Bernini, and Raphael. The best part for me was we attended mass there. I'm catholic so that was a real treat. The Pope did not say mass at this time because he only says mass on Sunday and Wednesday. I have some beautiful shots inside but some did not come out great because you can not use flash. This was the case in all of the churches we went into. There are over 300 Catholic churches in Rome. We saw a few on the tour list. I could go back just to take tours of the churches. One is more beautiful the next.

Inside the Basilica

Just to give you an idea of how enormous it is.

Enjoy,

Hugs,

Charlie

My Roman Holiday Begins

2011-04-05T10:40:00.002-05:00

My holiday got off with a rocky start. It took forever to get to Rome. We left on a Saturday afternoon from SA to Dallas, just a hop,skip and a jump, a 45 minute plane ride. We were to leave an hour after we got there. The plane to take us to Madrid was delayed 3 1/2 hours. That made us miss our connecting flight from Madrid to Rome. I was not a happy camper because we could not get another flight until 8 hours later. The Madrid airport is a shopping mall but it did not matter to me. The 9 hour grueling ride over the Atlantic ocean and having to sit 8 hours in an airport did not entice me to shop. I don't care how much shopping. Almost 24 hours later I finally get to Rome about 11 pm Sunday.

The tours begin the next day after a decent night sleep. Marcia had us walking the first day, no buses or metro. The metro is the subway by the way. I really liked the metro.


Ponte Sant' Angelo

This is the bridge leading to Castel Sant'Angelo. All along the bridge are Bernini designed angels. In the middle ages this was the only bridge that connected St Peter's and the Vatican to downtown Rome.


Castel Sant'Angelo

We toured Castel Sant'Angelo on another day.

Bernini's Angel

Here is one of the angels. Each statue bears a symbol of the passion of Christ; nail, sponge, shroud, etc. I took pics of most of them. I think Rome must be the city of statues. I love it, but after a while I did not know what I was looking at. I did take "Rick Steve's Rome" with me. I highly recommend it. I learned so much by following along on some of his tours in the book.

Walking along Via dei Coronari

This is where I fell in love with Rome. Yes on the very first day. Marcia led us down Via dei Coronari on our way to Piazza Novona. A lot of the streets look like this, not all. Rome is a very busy city and has lots of cars and millions of motorcycles. There are busy streets mixed in with these beautiful, quaint tiny little streets. This is where I could get lost taking one picture after another.

Marcia, Caz, Diego, Jerry

I don't know where Donna, Doug and Margaret are.....probably gawking at some of the windows. I know Donna and Margaret were maybe not Doug. :)

Window on Via dei Coronari

We walked on to Piazza Novona, the Pantheon and ended the day at St Peters basilica. Pictures of those will be posted tomorrow. :0.

Hugs,

Charlie

No longer a Secret

2011-04-04T11:12:00.002-05:00


Piazza "Novona"

Hi everyone! I'm back! My secret reveals itself. I went to Rome for a two week vacation. Sorry for the zipped lips but hubby did not want anyone to know we were out of the country for two weeks. He hears such horror stories about the internet. I could not post on Facebook while I was in Rome either. That was really hard for me. I cant' tell how many times I wanted to post a shot of where I was. I took over 700 photos and still editing. The shot above was taken the first day in Rome. As you can see it was a dreary day. It started out beautiful and then got colder and colder. This piazza became my favorite piazza.

The first day we were there we saw so many sites I thought I was going to run out of things to see. Boy was I wrong! There is so much to see in Rome! It took a week to see most everything we wanted to see there. The following week we took and day trip to Orveato and an overnight trip to Cinque Terre, both amazing!

This trip was a once in a life time chance for me and my husband. We are not world travelers. We were invited to go with a friend who lived in Rome in the 70's and has gone there many time. She speaks Italian fairly well and led us around like a professional tour guide. We felt so lucky to have her. We rented apartments near the Vatican with her and her husband and another couple. Our best friends came along too but did not stay with us. They stayed in a hotel and were there for one week.

Our apartment was way down the stairs through these gates.

We walked down these stairs every day to get to the metro. Steps were about a half a block from our apartment.

Same steps, looking up. We never walked so much in our lives. No wonder Europeans are so skinny!

The Vatican was literally across the street. I thought we would visit it more but the lines to get in were horrendous.

I would like to blog about my vacation and show as many pictures as possible. Stay tuned and I will write something about it everyday.

Hugs,

Charlie

Jr. Bridesmaid

2011-02-21T14:59:00.002-06:00

Another page from my art journal "new year new me". This turned out to be a really nice healing exercise. I was a Jr. bridesmaid for my sisters wedding years ago. I was too old to be a flower girl and too young to be a bridesmaid. I had a little bit of a traumatic experience during the wedding. Not sure I will write about it here but it's all there under the paint. I love how I can write about it in a journal then cover it up with paint. That way I don't have to be embarrassed about it all over again but at least get it out and turn it all around and go on.

I'm so glad the weather is nice. I'm able to work in my studio again where all my paints are. I've been working in the yard too. It's killing my back. I love yard work but I have to be careful. I don't know when to stop and then it's too late. Then my back is beyond just resting a bit. There is so much to do, everything is dead.

I have a secret heehee. I wish I could tell, but my husband would die if he knew I was telling the whole world. It's been all I can think about and I can't wait. It will be told eventually.

Texas Girl

2011-02-12T09:04:00.000-06:00

I really want to do her on a canvas or board, but this one on watercolor paper turned out so cute I don't know now. This cold weather we have been having lately has really put me in a funk. All I want to do is draw and practice faces. I finally made myself put this face on watercolor paper and do something with it. So I'm happy now.
Rodeo is going on in San Antonio. It goes on for a couple of weeks. It's a big deal, lots of concerts and such. Hence the inspiration for Texas Girl. And yes we Texas girls do wear cowboy boots. I love mine. I guess the one I do on canvas will have to include boots. My head is spinning with ideas.
Enjoy the weekend and wow Valentines is Monday. Me and my hubby will be celebrating it tonight because he will be out of town. :( on Monday.

Altered Art Journal Flower Page

2011-01-31T13:28:00.000-06:00

Flower Page

I have been working on this book for a couple of years now. It is one of the last pages in my altered art journal about me. I did an abc book about me. I have all the letters done but I have the inside cover page to finish and this is one of the last pages in the book. I was not sure what to do with them. Main reason it has taken so long to come up with something. I do most of my art intuitively so I just started layering on color and etc. When it became apparent it was going to feature flowers I decided to use a quote by one of my favorite artist Georgia O'Keeffe.
I have blogged about each of the 26 pages from A to Z right here on my blog. They are all under Altered Art Journal.

Mosaic Cross

2011-01-28T14:33:00.000-06:00

Here is my entry for Inspiration Avenue's Challenge this week "Broken Pieces".
I used to do mosaics all the time
I still want to.
It's just my heart is somewhere else.
I'd rather be drawing and doodling.
If you want to see more submissions check out IA here.

A Stroll in the Neighborhood

2011-01-24T17:33:00.000-06:00

Here is an odd collection of photos taken in my neighborhood today. I decided to bring my camera along on Max's walk. It's not easy to take pictures with him as he is tugging me along but I did manage to get in a few.
I should have joined that group that is taking a photo a day for a year. I found out about too late and not sure I'd succeed at that challenge anyway.
However,I would like to take more photos, maybe get a different perspective and at the same time improve my skills. It's all part of my new year new me endeavor.

I did realize.... January is not my favorite month. It's not pretty here in January. At least in the north there might be snow to cover up all the dead and or deciduous plant life.

These lions have always cracked me up. What else can I say?

I do like the statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Even though I've seen this stuff a hundred times it all looks different behind the lens of a camera.
I'm not sure the photos are that great but it was fun. Max enjoyed it too.

New Year New Me

2011-01-21T10:34:00.000-06:00

My first page in my new art journal for 2011. It's only the 21st. It could be worse. At least I made it before the end of January. :)
I'm trying all kinds of new stuff. That's my mantra for the new year. To be bold and more adventurous, but most of all to listen to that little whisper in my head that tells me to go for it. That's the toughest of all. I always critique my voice in my head.

The color is a little off in the photos. It's not quite this orange, but that's natural lighting for you. There is an orange flower next to the drawing so I'm sure that has something to do with it.I like using clear gesso on the pages because the paint colors come out so vibrant but not sure I like the way it wrinkles the paper.

I'm so glad it's the weekend too. I wish the cold weather would go away. I don't like the cold. All I want to do is hibernate when it's like this. I'm so ready for spring.

Enjoy the weekend, see you next time.

Tangi & Max

2011-01-15T13:12:00.000-06:00


We got a new kitty, "Tangi". Max is not quite sure about her but he knows she will keep him warm. He will tolerate her for a little while, as long as she keeps her claws to herself.

Bags Of Love

2011-01-11T11:26:00.000-06:00

Sunrise on the Texas Coast

I love this photo I took at Port Aransas Texas a couple of summers ago. I thought it would look nice on a canvas. I really did not know how to go about doing this then I found this wonderful site called Bags of Love. They did a wonderful job and I think it looks fabulous. It is even wrapped around the edges. They do all sorts of things and have some great gift ideas too. Valentines is just around the corner. If you like to take pictures like I do and want to do something special with your photos why not try something different. It looks like they will put your photo on just about anything from bags to different sorts of gadgets, fabric pillows and bedding. So fun to browse through. Check out the site though the link above. It's really cool.

Computer woes

2011-01-07T14:05:00.000-06:00

I'm back!
My computer was in the shop for 12 days and it did not get fixed. I'm so upset! I have a laptop which is only about 2 to 3 years old. The screen goes blank. This is not normal for a young computer like mine which by the way I have never dropped or mistreated! Anyway, sometime before Christmas the screen started going black when I used it off the external monitor. It's a lap top and therefore I should be able to take it anywhere in the house. Right? It works fine with the external monitor hooked up to the docking station.
I took it in to a computer repair shop. The nice young man who worked on it replaced the inverter and the lcd and neither fixed the problem. He did not know what else to do. At least he did not charge me. I'm grateful for that and the fact that I still have a computer. Not one that I can take with me all over the house though. I got so spoiled so quickly. It's so nice to watch tv and work on the computer or watch my Suzi Blue videos while lying on my bed. Oh well....it's back to the dark ages until I can figure out where to take it.
Oh and by the way don't buy an HP laptop computer. They suck! I'm not happy with this one right now.
Sorry no pictures today. I'm really behind.

Snow Princess

2010-12-22T10:45:00.001-06:00

Snow Princess

I did this mixed media painting for a friend of mine's daughter for Christmas. Actually the daughter asked me if I would paint a pretty girl picture for her. THis is the first time anyone asked me to do a painting for them. I guess it takes a child to ask. I was thrilled and a little nervous. As it is, I was needing some inspiration for the challenge at IA. This is a snow princess want to be just like the little girl I did this for. She is at that awkward stage right now, not quite a teenager but too old to be a little girl. She needs to believe in herself and one day she will be whatever she wants to be.

I'm not quite finished, but anyway this is my submission for the Inspiration Avenue theme Believe.

Check out some of the other entries here!

Merry Christmas

2010-12-12T21:05:00.000-06:00

Merry Christmas From Our House To Yours!

HO!

Christmas Earrings

2010-12-05T19:00:00.000-06:00

I added these to my Etsy shop this weekend. They just happen to be on sale.

Charlotte's Collection !

Autumn Flowers

2010-11-29T09:12:00.001-06:00


Thanksgiving Flowers

I thought it would be nice to enjoy these fall flowers a little bit longer. These were my centerpiece for the Thanksgiving table this year. They still look fabulous. It's still autumn after all. I know the Christmas / Holiday season is in full swing but geeezzz I want to enjoy fall a little longer. I'm going to start decorating the house for Christmas this week. My husband did the yard this weekend. We decorate right after Thanksgiving every year because things get so hectic so fast and it's so much work to put Christmas decorations upthat I like to have them around for more then a week or two. So enjoy these for now because things are going to change quickly. :))))))

On another note hehe...I'm doing the cyber monday sale over at Etsy. All of my broken china charms, pendants and earrings are on sale.

Here is the link

Cyber Monday Sale

Happy Thanksgiving

2010-11-22T18:01:00.000-06:00

It's time to think about Turkey!

Hope yours is thawing in the refrigerator. Don't wait until the night before to thaw it out.

I'm rummaging through recipes and cleaning house. I'll be busy the next few days so I'm wishing you all a very Happy Thanksgiving now before I forget!

Have fun and eat lots of pie.

Turkey Apron

2010-11-11T09:53:00.000-06:00


"Lets Talk Turkey"

It's funny how things change on a dime. I was not going to list my aprons on Etsy because I'm doing a show and needed items to fill in the gaps. Well now the show may not happen....but not sure. I'm listing them anyway. It can't hurt. I'll have to shut down Etsy on the day of the show if it happens. I hate not knowing.
On another note I was not going to host Thanksgiving this year now I am. I was not going to have our family Holiday Party this year now I am. All this on top of having our own immediate family Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. It's no wonder I'm starting to freak out.
I also made a new blog. I wanted an art gallery blog just for my paintings. It's a work in progress....so far I only have one item in it.
You can click here to check it out. It's called Charlotte's Collection to tie in with my shop and company name. Click here if you want to see more photos of the Turkey Apron. I love this apron! I made one for myself. Don't know why I'm so into aprons right now. I'm really going crazy making them. I made some for Halloween and now I'm making Christmas....they are all so cute I'm squealing....heehee. It doesn't take much to get me excited.

Day Of The Dead

2010-11-02T09:36:00.000-05:00


Day of the dead alter

Today is Dia de los Muertos or Day of the Dead. This is my little alter for my parents.

I wanted to do a "day of the dead" painting for mom and dad. Mom passed so recent and making art has been so therapeutic, I thought doing one would be nice. However, I could not make myself put skulls in the painting. I just couldn't, so the painting turned into more of a vintage wedding photo than a day of the dead painting.

I made some sugar skulls and painted them. The alter can have their favorite foods, pictures of them and so on.

Pumpkins

2010-10-22T15:34:00.001-05:00


Pumpkin Patch

Hope you are enjoying fall. I love the nice weather and beautiful scenery. Here's a picture of my area pumpkin patch.

Halloween is almost here.

Hugs,

Charlie

Sassy Girl

2010-10-08T09:41:00.005-05:00

Sassy Girl

Here is my latest painting. She is sassy and confident. She is all about being herself.
Live, love, be you is her message.

I don't know what I would do without my art at this time. I'm so glad I'm still able to create. I know if it were not for my art I would be lost. A friend of mine told me when her mom passed she felt like an orphan. At first I did not understand, but I realize what she means now. For me, I felt lost, so I guess feeling lost and feeling like an orphan is the same. My question is what do I do now? I'm rethinking my purpose in life and taking stock of my life. Being creative and making art is so comforting. It grounds me and makes me focus. It's reminds me of who I am and makes me happy that I have this gift to share.

Enjoy!

The challenge this week at Inspiration Avenue is Pink so I'm entering this painting for the challenge.

In Memory Of

2010-10-01T09:29:00.000-05:00

Cecilia Ann Pish Zissa

My dear sweet mom passed away Sunday night September 26 2010. The funeral services have come and gone and I am now alone with my thoughts. It has not been easy. I love her and miss her. Here is a poem which was in the memorial register which I found comforting.

To Those I love & Leave Behind

When I am gone, release me, let me go.

I have so many things to see and do.

You must not tie yourself to me with tears.

Be happy that we had so many years.

I gave you my love.

You can only guess how much you gave me in happiness.

But now it's time I traveled on alone.

So grieve a while for me if grieve you must.

Then let your grief be comforted by trust.

It's only for a while that we must part,

so bless the memories within your heart.

I won't be far away, and life goes on,

so if you need me, call and I will come.

Though you can't see or touch me.

I'll be near and if you listen with your heart,

You'll hear all of my love around you soft and clear.

And then when you must come this way alone,

I'll greet you with a smile and say,

"welcome home."

Therese Marie Horn

Weekly Update

2010-09-23T08:58:00.004-05:00

"Max "

This is all I have. I have been worthless all week. Other then visiting my mom , I have not accomplished much. I blame it on allergies. I feel awful! It has been raining so much here, it is ridiculous. It rains cats and dogs and then the sun comes out for a few hours and then it rains again. This is perfect conditions for mold. The mold count is off the charts and everyone is sick including me and my daughter. It's crazy! You feel better for a while and then it hits you again. You feel like you are getting the flu but you're not. Needless to say I've been living in my bed and this is my view. LOL! I love my dog. He is a beggar. I'm eating an apple here and of course..... he loves apples. Crazy dog. He can't wait to get the core. I send him outside to eat the core, but before he sits in front of me waiting very patiently with that intent stare. Oh well. I'm doodling and watching Suzi videos and trying to decide if I should spend the money for La Sirena. I'm not much of a mermaid lover, so it does not appeal to me. But......this reminds me of the next challenge which is decide. I have a hard time making up my mind. Making decisions is not one of my strong points. I take too long and I hem and haw until I'm blue in the face. It's not good. So I wont be doing the challenge because I can't decide. Good luck everyone and hope you are all doing better then me.
Have a good week.

PS
My friend Stephanie at Dragonfly Design Studios is celebrating her first year of blogging. She is having a wonderful giveaway.
Check it out here to enter
Dragonfly Design Studios Giveaway

Inspiration Avenue Weeklly Challenge: Metamorphosis

2010-09-17T10:41:00.000-05:00


"Texas Cicada Exoskeleton"

The challenge at IA this week is metamorphosis!

When I read this theme I thought to myself "no way am I going to do this one" but then as I was walking around my backyard, I noticed this familiar little guy hanging on a Mexican Petunia and thought "oh wow this would be great for the theme metamorphosis"!

I'm not sure if these bugs are everywhere. I thought they were only in the south, but I could be wrong. They are Cicada's or locust as we call them. You know it's summer when you hear them sing. Yes they are one noisy bug! Personally I love to listen to the sound they make.It would not be summer with out that screeching sound coming out of the trees.

What you see here is the flaky exoskeleton left on everything from gutters, to trees, to bushes, to just about anything. This is a stag in the cicadas life cycle that I think is a great example of metamorphosis!

The adult comes out the top slit leaving this shell behind.

Oh what fun we have here! I'm constantly knocking these things off my back porch. I'm surprised I missed this one. I guess it was a good thing, or I would not have an entry. They are all but gone now since summer is winding down. Until next summer!

Click the link above to view more entries to the challenge.

Which Witch

2010-09-13T21:38:00.001-05:00

I love Halloween.

Here is my latest little doll lady. I'm so pleased with the way she turned out. I had fun working on her, but I think I say this about all my paintings. I'm not sure what I'll do next because I've already switched gears. I got the sewing bug again, so I'm making Halloween aprons.

This is what I'm working on now. If I get busy and make more I hope to sale them on Etsy. It may be too late for Halloween stuff, but I'll try anyway. I can always give them away. lol!

Here is a little weekly update.

We got tons of rain from tropical storm Hermine. City wide flooding but my place is fine, so no worry.

Our hot water heater sprung a leak right before we were living town to go to a wedding!

We could not replace it until today, so we had no hot water for a couple of days. Geez hot water heaters are expensive.

The whole family and sons girlfriend piled in the car to go to a wedding this weekend. It was a lot of fun!

The sad part is my mom was not able to attend the wedding. We thought maybe she could go to the church part but she was not up to it. The good part is.... is it made us realize how depressed she is. We worked it out so that she will be able to go back to her assisted living home. She has been in a rehabilitation nursing home since she got out of the hospital. She is not happy there but needs the therapy and full time RN's on staff that this rehab center offers. So we will see how it all goes.

Have a good week!

My Marie

2010-09-06T14:42:00.000-05:00

Marie Antoinette

My latest creation.This is my version of a Marie Antoinette petite doll. It's a fairly large painting.....12 x24 which I can handle. I don't know why I can make large paintings easier then the small ones. Oh well.....too fun! I'm keeping her, so I guess I'll go get it framed. She looks good on the easel, but I think she would look better in my foofoo room. The close up shot was taken outside so it has a bluer tone. Can't wait to get started on the next painting.
Hope everyone is having a great labor day!
C.

Tiny Dancer

2010-08-30T20:10:00.003-05:00

Here is my little, Tiny Dancer. She loves to dance and dreams of becoming a professional tap dancer one day. She is on her way to an audition and is so, so worried. (One day she will make it big.)

I finished this painting a while back, but I'm just now getting to post here again. I had to take a break from blogging. My mom had emergency surgery the beginning of August. She was in ICU for a week, a regular room for two weeks and now she is in a rehab / nursing facility. I was driving to see her every 3 days. I have two sisters so we took turns staying with her. Now she is a little closer to home so the drive is not so long.
My mom really gave my sisters and I a big scare. We almost lost her. She needed the surgery or she would die for sure. She had an abscess in her intestine that had to be removed. The surgery was really hard on her. It would be tuff for anyone but she is 91. It was so hard to see her go through so much pain. She is learning to feed herself and learning to walk again through rehab. My visits have gone down to once a week so I have a little more time again. I was taking classes from Suzi Blu before this all happened. Tiny Dancer is one of my projects from her class. I've enjoyed the lessons so much. I'm working on another doll painting right now and can't wait to show her off.
Hopefully my next post will be my latest painting.
Have a great week.

Water Theme Inspiration Avenue

2010-07-30T15:23:00.000-05:00

"Sunrise"

A beautiful sunrise over the ocean. Doesn't it look like the ocean is about to tip over???

I had to share this photo for the challenge this week at Inspiration Avenue.

The theme is water.

I took this shot early one morning while walking the beach in Port Aransas Texas. It's not far from San Antonio....where I live.

I can not wait until our next visit. We will probably be going back soon. {Sometimes in August.} I don't think the oil spill has come to our side of the gulf......yet. I'll let you know.

The ocean is calling me....see you soon my dear coastal waters.

75% Off Sale Mana Moon Sudios

2010-07-30T09:45:00.000-05:00

My friend Sharon is having a fabulous sale in her Etsy store.....Mana Moon Studios. Head on over there to take a peek at some of the wonderful items she has for sale. Most of the items are way below cost. She is going out of business and needs to liquidate. It's a great opportunity to get some early Christmas shopping done at a fabulous price.
Thanks,
Charlie

2010-07-27T08:37:00.000-05:00

Hello, good morning! It's a great day in S.A.
We had a huge thunder storm come through yesterday with hardly any rain. It was fun to watch though. Actually it was a little scary! I did not want to be on the phone or the computer. At least we did not lose any electricity.
Sooooo, I pulled out my sketch pad and drew. It really feels good to draw just for fun again. I am having so much fun in my new class. I'm taking one of Suzi Blu's classes. I think I'm hooked because I feel like signing up for another one. She really has a lot of good tips and ideas. She is so funny too. I get such a kick outta watching her videos. She is such a nut. And I mean that in a good way. She makes you want to throw out all your inhibitions and just act silly.
With that said heehee, I still don't feel like showing off any of my art work. I do not know why. I used to share everything. When I took Paulettes class......I posted the whole learning process.
Sorry!
I am however still working on my broken china jewelry and other things to sell in my Etsy shop. I have to try to make a little money......... I got to pay for this artsy habit........... Geez, art supplies are expensive!
I'm back to making these seashell items. This is a large scallop shell that I soldered. I think it looks good with the turquoise. I'll be listing it soon.
Toodalee doo for now!
:)

Wine Glass Wednesday

2010-07-21T09:24:00.002-05:00

Leopard Print

Heehee don't you just love this one! It's my favorite! I forgot I had painted so many glasses.....geez. I could not find it at first. I was freaking out! I have so many kitchen things. I mean I have tons of glasses, teacups and plates, serving bowls. I like to entertain and don't like to use paper or plastic dinnerware....sometimes I have to though. Oh well....not sure this is a wine glass but I'm using it anyway...... For wine glass Wednesday!

A little bit closer now!

Oops!

But I like it! I thought I would try taking the pictures inside this morning but the lighting would not cooperate. I think it will make a great texture background for digital collage, so I'm keeping it.

I'm off to do more art! I'm sorry I don't feel like sharing my art these days. I'm feeling sort of self conscience about it. I'm taking a class and really enjoying it. It's all for myself just to make me happy.

Check out more wine glasses by visiting Lisa at Priti Studio!
Enjoy your week!

More from my Back yard

2010-07-19T15:42:00.002-05:00

We had wine and cheese Saturday evening out on the patio. It was a such a lovely night. I lit all the tiki torches, this chandelier, other candles and lights around the porch. It was magical....to me... only. Oh well at least I enjoyed it. Hope you do too.

Wine Glass Wednesday

2010-07-14T07:43:00.000-05:00

Just a little tipsy!
Here is another one of my hand painted wine glasses. It's Christmas in July.
This was painted a while back at the same time as the grape wine glass I featured a couple of weeks ago. I'm not into painting on glass anymore. Been there done that.
It is crazy at mi casa this week. The home owners association have finally decided to replace our back fence. Yeah I'm so happy. We have been waiting for this for a few weeks now. First they said they could not get a hold of us, then it was the hurricane, last week I don't know what their problem was.
I can't let Max out to play or teetee in the back yard because there is no fence. I have to go with him. Not so bad it's just he tends to wander off.
It shouldn't take them too long to finish.We shall see.

Teacup Tuesday

2010-07-13T09:36:00.000-05:00

Here is my pretty little teacup from Japan. It has a Japan marking on the bottom. That is all the markings I find. It is very delicate and thin. I hate to use this one. I'm so scared I'm going to chip it. I love the tiny flowers.
The two kitschy kitties are my latest finds. Are they not the cutest???? I love 'em. I collect little kitschy animal figures too. Since I just found them this weekend on our driving /antiquing outing, I had to show them off. I just love the silly grin. The one in the cup looks like she is taking a bath....rubbing her tummy and neck...so cute. I nabbed them for a couple of bucks. At an antique store, that is not a bad price! The cup I have had forever. I'm not sure why my interest in these kitschy animals have come back. Weird. I saw a lovely teacup for sale but just could not make myself buy it. I went for the cats instead.....so cheap.
If you would like to see more teacups join in on Teacup Tuesday here by clicking the link.
See you tomorrow for wine glass Wednesday.

Cherish

2010-07-09T15:13:00.000-05:00

I'm still stitching. I made this fabric ATC this week. I think I'll put it up for sale in my Etsy store. It's made out of my grandma's quilt. Just like the previous one on earlier post.

I'm so glad this week is over!

Got my wireless working, so now I don't have to wait my turn to connect to the modem. YeaH! I feel so much better. I was not a happy camper.

I started doing weights at the gym again, along with plain old sit-ups. OH MY! My poor aching tummy! I can not even roll out of bed. I think I over did it. I'm so out of shape.

My son is moving back to San Antonio. Yeah again! He is going to move in with a friend. They will be living close to my favorite hamburger place.I'm sure I will be meeting him there for lunch often. I will need to start working out more. Hmmmm. Oh well. We have to eat.
Hugs,
Charlie

Internet Issues

2010-07-07T10:11:00.000-05:00

No picture today! I'm having internet problems. Sometimes I can connect, but mostly not. My computer is wireless only. We tried to set up a new router yesterday. We spent all day on the phone with Road Runner and Cisco and could not get anything to work. Needless to say I'm about to pull out my hair. The worst part is how addicted I've gotten to the internet. Agghhh! Maybe taking a break from it is a good thing.
Wishing you a stress free day, week, month, year, Life.
Hugs,
Charlie

Inspiration Avenue Weeklly Challenge: Freedom

2010-07-02T14:10:00.000-05:00

"Butterflies Are Free"

The theme this week at IA is Freedom. Freedom can mean so many things and can be interpreted in so many ways. I have designed a patriotic banner for my blog so I did not feel the need to go in that direction again.

I was in a sewing mode this week and had an itch to stitch.....lol! I pulled out an old quilt form my grandmother. It has been stashed away in an old trunk for years. It was in terrible condition. I think most people would have thrown it away, but not me. I ripped and cut out the best parts of the quilt. Then I separated the top and back and threw away the middle batting. I knew there was something I could make out of the pieces. This is what I came up with. It is a small stitched mixed media hanging. I stitched layers of the cutout fabric together in a whimsical fashion and added other ephemera. A butterfly came to mind as a symbol of freedom, so I designed a butterfly and stitched it on. Anyone remember the 70's movie "Butterflies are Free" with Goldie Hawn?
If you would like to participate check out Inspiration Avenue for more details.

Wine Glass Wednesday

2010-06-30T08:18:00.001-05:00

How fun is this!
We have a teacup Tuesday.....so why not a wine glass Wednesday?
My friend Lisa at Priti Studio thought of this. She is brilliant! I immediately jumped on the band wagon.
It will be fun!
Check out her blog by clicking the link to see her wine glass and any other participants wine glasses.

When I went digging around my hutch filled with glasses of all sorts, I thought this one here would be the best to present for wine glass Wednesday. Bringing it out brought out all kinds of memories.
I painted this glass years ago. I sold a few in the little antique shop I had back then, more then 10 years ago.
Painting on wine glasses is just one of the many crafts I've done through the years. One of the many crafts I've tried to sell.
I have a lot of brainy ideas. I have always been all over the place when it comes to art and crafts.
I get bored doing the same thing over and over. I have to change things up a bit. It's so obvious in my Etsy store. I sell broken china jewelry, fabric totes, memory glass pendants, shell earrings, cards, original art and ACEO's.
I like to paint and draw and doodle.
I keep a watercolor art journal.
I also love digital collage, and I love, love, love to take pictures.
When I look back on one of my old projects like this painted wine glass I immediately think to myself "Oh that's not bad!"
Back then when I created something I thought it was horrid. I'm better now. I'm not so critical of my own art. I guess I've grown a little, learned to accept myself and let my muse do what she wants. I think she is happier and so am I.

Teacup Tuesday

2010-06-28T21:03:00.000-05:00

Last week I posted only one of my blue and white teacups from my mix and match set. I thought I should post the others out of this group before I move on. Interesting enough they are all from England, two are Johnson Bros, one Salem China Co, and the other Myott. I did not realize they were all from England.

Coaching Scenes by Johnson Bros.

English Villages by Salem China Co.

Melody by Myott

When I started collecting teacups I really did not care where they came from or if they were old. They had to catch my fancy for whatever reason. I usually went for the floral pink rose types, so these were not typical. This blue and white set has a nice, creamy feel. I like them all, really no particular one is my favorite. It's a nice set to bring out for company.
I'm getting ready for the fourth of July and I've been pulling out all my red, white and blue. I think this set looks great on the red place mat. Too bad I wont be using them for the BBQ.
Teacup Tuesday is sponsored by Martha and Terri each Tuesday.
Check out their blogs for more teacups. Join in the fun if you want.

Inspiration Avenue Weeklly Challenge: Circus

2010-06-27T09:15:00.004-05:00

This weeks theme at Inspiration Avenue is

Circus.

"Vintage Gathering"

I love vintage! This is a digital collage. I love putting the images together and playing around with the filters. I wanted to create a new vintage feel...if that makes sense.
Head on over to Inspiration Avenue to see the other entries.

Endless Possibilities

2010-06-23T20:28:00.001-05:00

My muse has taken me in a digital direction. I'm combining some of my photos in phototshop and making cards. What do you think? Some are a little silly some are sweet and normal. I guess I have a goofy side that wants to come out.

Hubby was not too keen on the cupcake in the chair. I don't know.....It could happen. He was not too crazy about the monkeys either. Really? I think they are cute!

All I know is I'm having fun and the possibilities are endless.

Teacup Tuesday

2010-06-21T20:52:00.000-05:00

This one is not old but I like it anyway. It has a Johnson Brothers, made in England marking on the bottom. I have four blue and white cups not matching but they go together to me. I like to mix and match everything. Great size for a cuppa tea. If you like teacups and would like to share yours check out Teacup Tuesday.

Wish

2010-06-17T22:20:00.000-05:00

"Wish"

This weeks theme at Inspiration Avenue is "Wish".

Here is my entry. I did this painting a little over a year ago. I can't believe it has been that long since I painted her. Where does the time go? So my wish is, I wish I had more time. I never seem to have enough.

If you would like to see more entries or enter the challenge have yours in by noon Sunday at Inspiration Avenue.

View of my Backyard

2010-06-16T13:23:00.003-05:00

Come on over and take a stroll with me through my backyard. It has a rather whimsical country feel and look.

We don't take baths in this but I love the sound the fountain makes.

Urn with America Flags

I'm ready for July 4th. this year. I never decorate in the 4th of July decor but this year I've really gotten into it.

Rosemary hanger

I've got a lot of hanging things all over the place.

Hanging Lantern

Chandelier

What is a yard without a Chandelier? I've had this hanging out so long the yellow plastic dangles have faded. I don't get to use this as much as I would like but it's nice just hanging there. I have some wind chimes, bird feeders and of course a tomato topsy turvy which does not look like it will ever produce any tomatoes and my chairs which you have seen already. I got my lights up but I'm having a hard time taking pictures of them. Oh and by the way I still have to refinish 3 more chairs. I got tired, so not sure if they will get done before the end of the summer. Hope you enjoyed the stroll.

Have a great day!

Teacup Tuesday

2010-06-15T08:37:00.001-05:00

Good morning. Today I present this lovely peacock teacup. I thought he would like to go outside among the flowers and herbs. This is a very delicate fine china piece. Markings on the back say hand painted nippon. I don't remember where I got it. I think someone gave it to me. I feel so bad I do not remember who. I'm sure it was not a special occasion or I would have remembered. I love the delicate feel of these old hand painted cups. Only problem you really can't put a lot of tea in them so I never use them. Probably a good thing, I would not want to break one.
If you would like to see more teacups check out the official teacup Tuesday site at Martha's Favorites for more entries.

Summer Fun & Relaxation

2010-06-09T09:49:00.003-05:00

This weeks Challenge at Inspiration Avenue is "Summer Fun & Relaxation"!

This is my favorite part of summer. I love to go to the beach and lay out all day. I get up early to find the perfect spot. I lug my umbrella, lounger, & beach towels. An ice chest full of beer, cokes, water, cheese doritos, oreos and beer rocks for snacks and drinks. My pink straw beach bag carries a good book, sunscreen, sunglasses, visor, cell phone and camera. I can almost hear the sound of the ocean now. Ahhhhhhh.

If you would like to participate in the fun have your entry in by noon Sunday.

Inspiration Avenue

How Does Your Garden Grow

2010-06-07T10:20:00.000-05:00

Ok I know I'm late with this entry. The deadline was yesterday at Inspiration Avenue. The challenge was "How does your Garden Grow". It was a great inspiration for my art journal.
I love gardening and spending time outdoors. I've been doing a lot of this lately. I have not finished my chairs yet. I"m taking a little break from them because I got diverted to putting up lights on the porch. It took us {hubby and me} all weekend to do this little project. Yikes! I did not know it was going to be so much work. We had to buy a 10 foot ladder and it was not tall enough, but we made do. I love how they turned out. I originally wanted to line the rafters in the ceiling of the roof but it was way too high to get up to the tip top. I compromised.
So my porch is coming along nicely. My yard/garden is too.Me and my big ideas always turn out to be so much work. But it's worth it.
Have a great week and hope you are enjoying the summer. It's summer here already. We hit heat index of 100 over the weekend. Gotta love the heat to live in Texas.
Hugs,
Charlie

Sea Shell Earrings

2010-06-03T20:46:00.001-05:00

Sea Shell Earrings

Just listed these in my Etsy shop. The beach lingers on in my heart and soul. I found these cute little things while walking the beach. I'm usually so obsessed with finding the biggest shells only that I forget the little ones have more finesse. These are really sweet. I broke one smaller set already trying to put the tape on. Not as easy as it looks. Now I will rummage through my stash for the smaller shells to make more earrings. Yet another project I've gotten myself into :)

Texas Gulf Coast

2010-06-01T09:27:00.000-05:00

Vacation is over. Now I have to get back to normal. I could sit on the beach all day. I hated to have to come home. Oh well.
Our coastline is doing ok so far. No oil has drifted on shore! YET! I'm so upset with that oil rig explosion and the fact that they can not contain the gushing. I know it will only be a matter of time before the gunk comes to the Texas beaches. Must be a bunch of idiots working for BP! How can they not come up with a solution?????
Enjoy the pictures while you can.!

Pages From My Art Journal

2010-05-19T21:54:00.008-05:00

Le Journal is the first page in my new art journal. I started it a few weeks ago. I did the first page on the plane to Vegas. We were staying in the Paris casino. Get it?..wink, wink. Le Journal. It's in French. Ok I know it's not that funny. It's a zen-tangle doodle. I find this process very relaxing and since I was on a plane I could not do much with paints and glue.
Next page here I am wishing away. I've been doing a lot of wishing lately. I'm wishing I could find my rings. Wishing I were Jeannie and I could just wiggle my nose to get the boring stuff done, like the house work, grocery shopping, cooking, or laundry. This list could go on and on. Also wishing my muse would come back.
Lately my muse has been on hiatus. I have not been inspired to do much other then the yard and back porch. So anyway, will see what happens next.

Teacup Tuesday

2010-05-18T08:44:00.002-05:00

Is it Teacup Tuesday already? Where did the week go? Here is my entry.
My life seems like a blur right now. My son graduated from Texas State University with a masters in Sociology Friday. After 7 years of school he is finally going out in the mean old world to look for a job. He has always worked part time all through collage and was a graduate assisstant while in graduate school but everyone knows it's not the same as real job. Please pray for him so that he may find a job, otherwise he will have to come home and live with us again. Lol! You know I love my son and want him home with me but I would much rather have him working.
Anywhooo My entry this week for teacup Tuesday is this lovely pink floral cup. I'm a sucker for pink and roses. I have this set displayed in my foo foo bedroom.
If you want to play along go to Martha's Favorites Teacup Tuesday and click this link.

mOrE bOuNcY ChAiRs

2010-05-17T09:47:00.001-05:00

More chairs to show off. I'm sure you all are just dying to see the rest of my rusty metal bouncers. lol!
Bouncy chair # 7 is a a green rocker. This one was really, really chippy.I scrubbed off all the loose chippy paint and coated it well with the varnish . I think someone could sit in it if they wanted. I've moved it and the others way to the back of the yard. It's a cute seating arrangement that no one ever uses but me.

Next bouncy chair # 8. Another one of my favorites. It is scrubbed and coated with varnish.

Then next is this old green glider.
Can you see Max sniffing the back fence? Some how he always gets in my pictures.

5 more chairs to go.
These are the rest of the chairs I have to work on. What to do, what to do??? I think I'll spray paint all of them. There is nothing special about the old paint on these. Each and everyone of these I got at a flea market or garage sale. Did not spend over 10.00 for any. It's work but a great bargain.
So if I get all this done....I'm going to have a backyard BBQ. I can see shopping for paper lanterns and lights next. :))))
Hope you all are having a wonderful spring.

Teacup Tuesday

2010-05-11T08:48:00.004-05:00

"Violet "

It's time to show off another one of my teacups for Teacup Tuesday! Join in the fun by clicking the link.

Last Tuesday I had a Dr.'s appointment with the gynecologist but totally forgot to go and I blame Teacup Tuesday lol! I was so intent in posting for this that I forgot I had an appointment. I was probably still in shock about losing my rings too. So it's not all Teacup Tuesdays fault. I guess I'm losing my mind. I'm so forgetful these days. Yikes! It's scary. My mind is constantly trying to relive where I could have lost them. Also another stupid thing I did was try to open our front door after we had gone to lunch without the key. Of course my smart mouth husband had something to say about that. Oh well wish me luck so I can get my head back on straight.

My Back Porch

2010-05-10T09:14:00.004-05:00

The past few weeks I have been working on my back porch. I have been obsessed with it is to say the least. I finished the staining of the concrete part but not quite through with the painting of the chairs. I have about 13 metal bouncers. {That's what I call them.} Most are old and rusty. I found them at garage sales and flea markets. Some are usable, some are way to rusty to sit in. I had them scattered all about my yard for decoration.

In this picture I painted two bouncers white and the lounger white. They were white to begin with, but the rust was showing through. I also painted the cupboard. It was really neat before. The old paint was chipping. I decided it needed to be painted mainly for protection. This is what it looked like before. It has been like this for years. I had it on my porch all along, but with the new floor I felt it needed a face lift.

Here are two of my favorite rusty bouncers. No one would sit in them before so I decided to varnish them. They are in really good shape. They are sturdy enough for my hubby to sit in, so now they are usable. I love the rust and the old layers of paint showing through. They look really pretty on my rusty concrete floor.

This is the other heart back bouncer painted white. I did not paint the cart. Maybe next year. It's not that bad.

My patio table set pictured here. I did not paint these. A little rust is showing but I like the rust. I bought it like this. I will probably not paint it for a while.

Last but not least my red bouncers from my mom. They needed a face lift too. They were red originally, but faded and ugly.

I 'll post pictures of the others as I finish them. For now I'm taking a break. I really need to concentrate on my etsy shop.
Hope you all had a great Mothers Day!

P.S. I still did not find my rings. :(

Teacup Tuesday

2010-05-04T14:12:00.002-05:00

There are a few people who participate in Teacup Tuesday. Bunny at "I'm Just Say'n" got me into this. I'm not sure how long its been going on but it must have been started by Martha at Martha's Favorites. I thought I'd share some of my beauties. I have a nice collection of teacups. This one is one of my favorites. I love pink combined with either black or brown. I've never seen a black teacup like this. I wish I had the saucer but I snagged the cup for only a buck so I thought I got a bargain.

I have to change gears now and say how depressed I am. I lost my wedding rings this weekend and I'm just sick. I feel as bad as if I lost a loved one. I know that sounds awful, but I am. I can not say how I lost them either. I noticed I was not wearing them Saturday while we were out having lunch and shopping. I thought to myself oh I must not have put them on this morning. I thought they were probably in my jewelry box, but when I got home and looked they were not there. We have searched everywhere. I called the restaurant but of course nothing. I dont' take my rings off when I wash my hands. I'm really pretty anal about things so I'm just plain baffled. I guess somethings just happen. I'm praying and hoping one day they will pop up out of nowhere. For now I'm trying not to let it get to me. I'm trying to stay positive.

Tutorial Altered Art Journal

2010-05-01T08:39:00.003-05:00

I will be showing you how to make an altered art journal from a vintage or discarded book. The fun thing about this technique is how the type/print can show through the art.

First step take a trip to the thrift store, or garage sale and find a book.
Then decide on a theme. I did an ABC journal about me.

Next step is to divide the pages in your book to a desired number of pages. I needed 26 since I'm doing an ABC journal.

Use a glue stick to glue the in between pages together. This gives substance to each page so you can add paint and elements. I like this blue colored stick so I can see where I put the glue. I've tried other glues for this project but this one is less messy and doesn't warp the pages. Make sure your cover every inch of each of the pages.

Use a credit card or a plastic piece like this to remove the air bubbles. Press and rub each of the pages together as you glue. If there are wrinkles don't worry this adds to the distressed look.

Next step is to add the paint and elements. At first the paint will make the pages buckle but as it dries the page goes back to normal.
Creativity is all that is need next.
I use acrylic paints, scrapbook papers, stamps and found ephemera. I doodled and added my own art or found objects.

Last step is to paint and decorate the front and back covers.

Staining Back Porch Corncrete

2010-04-28T14:06:00.000-05:00

Here is my ugly back porch. Isn't it awful?
Nothing about plain concrete is pretty. It gets stained every spring from the pollen and leaves. I'm constantly cleaning it. I sure hope staining it will make me happy.
I'm using an etching stain I got from Lowes. The first thing I had to do in preparation was clean it really, really good. I had the porch pressure washed a month ago but the pollen stained it again. No such luck for me! I had to clean it again.
I scrubbed with concrete cleaner that had some sort of acid in it because it burned my hands a little. Oh well! That did not do the trick, so I borrowed my neighbors pressure washer. That did not get the stains off either. Last resort good old clorox bleach! Straight bleach right on the stains. Worked like a charm. Wish I would have tried that first!

Next step is to tape off areas not wanting to get stained like my walls and door.
Cleaning and taping took me most of Monday. (All that squatting and bending makes my back hurt really, really bad.)
I was going to wait until the next morning to do the staining but the weather man predicted wind so I decided to do it that same night. At 7:00 P.M. Monday night I'm staining my back porch, and of course I ran out of product. One container was not enough. Luckily Lowe's is not far from my home.

I sprayed the stain on with a hand held pump sprayer. It is what Lowes recommended using. Then let it dry a full 24 hours.
The next step which I did this morning is to scrub it with a water/ baking soda mixture and a push broom. Working in a four foot area at a time and picking up the baking soda water mixture with a shop vac. I have a small vac so another back breaking ordeal. I have to clean it again with the baking soda mixture because there is still powdery residue that needs to be lifted. Next step is to paint on the high gloss finish. This step will probably not happen until Saturday. I'm really pleased with it so far. The picture does not do it justice. It is a really nice rusty color and looks pretty natural. I think the gloss finish will make it look better.

Bloom Inspiration Avenue Challenge

2010-04-23T16:20:00.000-05:00

Here is my entry for this weeks challenge at Inspiration Avenue. The challenge is bloom! This challenge was so much fun. It's been a while since I worked in Photoshop. I found this girl a while back and have been wanting to use her in one art form or another. Doesn't she look like she is blooming right out of that flower? She is a late bloomer! I used one of my antique rose pictures, shot this spring for the background and then photoshop did the rest.
Check out Inspiration Avenue blog to check out the other entries.

Vegas And Back

2010-04-20T20:26:00.000-05:00

Here is what I've been working on.

I'm finally able to settle down and blog again. I've been to Las Vegas and back. We had a blast. My husband won a jackpot on the slots. He hates the slots. Go figure!. I again love the slots and won nothing, nada, nilch, very depressing. I was so excited when he won, I could hardly stand it. He just sat there looking at me and said "this changes nothing I still do not like slots." lol! He is such a brat! Oh well. I'm home and refreshed and ready to get back to my art. I have a show this Sunday at a small market in a shopping center. I think it will be fun. I'm sharing space with another girl. I'll be bringing my jewelry and totes. This week I'm cranking out the pendants and trying something new. As you can see in the photo I'm going to solder a shell. This one is from the batch of shells my son found on his last trip to the coast. I really like the ones with the wings. I'm going to have to find out what they are officially called. I know they are not "angel wing" shells like I like to call them. lol! I usually give made up names to things when I don't know what the real names are. This gets me in trouble because most people have no clue what I'm talking about.
I decided to make memory glass pendants from my ladies I painted last year......Frida and The Girl with the Pearl earring. This is something I've been contemplating for a while, I just never wanted to do it. Why I don't know. I love it when ideas come to me and I just go with the flow. Sometimes I censor myself too much, so it's nice when I just do it.
On another note I know I said I was going to blog about my back porch.....well that is a sore subject with me. I have done nothing YET! My furniture is still out in the YARD, not protected from the RAIN. The carpenters and painters took so long to finish the job. They actually came to our house to finish up while we were on our trip. It rained so hard while we were gone, leaving oak pollen stains everywhere. Now I'm going to have to clean my porch again before I can stain it. It will have to wait until after Sunday. Weather permitting I will be working on my porch next week. As always one thing leads to another..... now I want to paint my furniture too. Will it ever end?????
Charlie

Photos From Vegas

2010-04-18T19:25:00.000-05:00

I Heart Paris

2010-04-12T09:27:00.000-05:00

I'm so happy I finished this tote. It is my tribute to Paris. It is called I Heart Paris. It's listed over in my Etsy shop.
Most people who know me know I would die to go to Paris one day. It's just one of my dreams and I know one day I'll get there. It's not in the stars as of yet. Who knows maybe next year! We keep putting it off. There's always a better way to spend money like painting the house and going to Vegas. Yes I'll be going to Vegas soon. Yea!!! My husband and I love to go to Vegas. Hopefully the weather will be nice because I want to go to the pool. The pool at the Paris Hotel is so awesome. And yes I'll be staying at the Paris Hotel. If I can't go to the real PARIS at least I can stay at Paris in LasVegas. heehee! :)

Wildflowers & Bluebonnets

2010-04-08T19:43:00.000-05:00

I can't help myself. They are just too pretty not to share!
Enjoy!

Bluebonnets & Wildflowers

2010-04-06T09:29:00.001-05:00

This is one of the best crops of bluebonnets in years. The winter weather conditions were conducive to producing an enormous amount of bluebonnets and Indian Red Blankets and all the others. It is absolutely beautiful to drive around and not just in the country either.. They are on the highways in our huge metropolis. You don't have to go far to see them. Spring is so awesome! I love it.
I hope you can enjoy them here. These pictures really do not do them justice and they smell so wonderful too. Happy spring everyone!

Almost Easter

2010-03-29T09:41:00.000-05:00

"Momma Rabbit Pendant"

One week to Easter. 'Holy Week". I'm not ready! I did not get to stain the porch. The painters have not started painting yet. The construction workers are still replacing old rotten boards. I did not realize it would take this long. I decided to wait until after they painted to start on my porch. My back porch will not be ready for Easter. Oh well..... I can live with it. I'll get to it eventually.

Above is my latest Easter pendant. She is listed in my Etsy shop! This will be me soon. Can't wait to dye Easter eggs and then make deviled eggs from them. Yummmy! That's the best part of Easter. My family loves deviled eggs! I have so many things to do so little time...lol!

Hope you all have a great week!

Latest items Listed

2010-03-25T08:55:00.000-05:00

"Time To Be Me"

Another Tote!

Easter Pendant

Here is what I've been working on lately! All these items are listed in my Etsy shop.

I'm having a blast! I love what I do! It is so much fun to be able to walk into my studio art room in my pj's and play /uh I mean work all day on my craft. I am truly blessed!

I am almost finished with another Easter pendant which I hope to list today. It's so cute!

This weekend I have decided, weather permitting, to stain the concrete floor on my back porch.

We are having our home's exterior painted this week. Of course it was not as simple as that. There is a lot of rotting wood that needs to be replaced. Everything was pressure washed first so then we decided to have them wash the back porch, front sidewalk and driveway. It looks so nice and clean now. Since all my furniture is off and spread all over my yard, I have decided to stain the porch before everything is put back in its place. Unfortunately last night a huge hail storm came through. I hope nothing was damaged. It's always something.

So wish me luck on the staining. I really have no idea what I'm doing. Pictures to come. Hopefully it wont turn into a disaster.

Inspiration Avenue Challenge My Town

2010-03-21T09:29:00.000-05:00

Howdy folks....I'm from San Antonio Texas.
This was all my idea. I'm the host this week at Inspiration Avenue. I thought it would be fun to find out where we are all from so the theme is "My Town". Go to IA Blog and check out all the entries.

There are many famous landmarks in San Antonio other then these boots....like the Alamo and Spanish Missions, the Tower of Americas and the Riverwalk but those are so common. I wanted to enter something that most people have not seen. Theses boots are in front of a large mall located on a very busy expressway. To me they exemplify what most people think about when they think of San Antonio.

Luminaria Arts Night In San Antonio

2010-03-16T10:42:00.002-05:00

Saturday night was Luminaria Art Night in downtown San Antonio. It was my first time to go. I enjoyed it but thought the organizers could have put the stages a little closer together. It's only the 3rd year in existence, so maybe they will improve it in future years.

This event includes all types of art, singing and dancing, glass blowing, poetry reading ,all types of music, laser light shows, tons of activities for kids and of course food and drinks.

My friend and I did not find the food until we were ready to go home. Darn!.. but I guess that was a good thing.

My favorite part was these guys pictured here to the right.

Husband and wife art team Holly Hein Brooks and Bryson Brooks did a performance piece in which they painted each other painting each other.
"Married with Paintings"

They were dressed so artsy. Definitely what I visualize when I think of artist.

I'm sorry I did not get the name of the art and artist who painted the top picture. I guess I'm not a very good reporter. I just love taking pictures. All in all it was a fun artsy evening for me and my friend to attend while our husbands watched some pay per view fight.

Spring Is Here

2010-03-11T10:25:00.002-06:00

Spring has sprung! There are tiny little buds coming out on my miniature rose bush. I'm so happy but at the same time I'm swamped with yard work. Oh my! I look around my yard and I don't know where to start. With the worst drought on record last summer and the wettest, coldest winter in a long long time, we have a big mess on our hands. Half of my grass is dead and full of weeds. I have tons of perennials to cut back. I have not had to trim them back in years because we have not had any freezes hard enough to kill them. The oak leaves are falling so I guess I'll wait until they have dropped to begin the work. Even with all this complaining I'm really not...if that makes sense. :) I'm soooo ready for spring.

My son and his girlfriend went to the coast for spring break and brought me back this huge bag of shells. They hit the mother load. I love shells and love to look for them. They said the beach was full of them. Now I know, you got to go in spring to get the good sized ones. Not sure what I'm going to do with all these, but I'm sure I will think of something.

Don't laugh but I had to take a picture of the little bit of snow we received this winter. I know it was not much but hey.....when it snows in south Texas it's a big deal.

My yard and my art await me so I must get to work.

Hope everyone is having a wonderful spring.

hUgS

Charlie

Item for Charity Art Auction

2010-03-02T19:55:00.011-06:00

"Scrappy Art Tote"

Starting bid is $15.00 usd
If you would like to own this one of kind handmade tote,
(handmade by me) make sure you click this link Inspiration Avenue starting Sunday March 7 to place a bid.

All the proceeds will go to Angel Faces.

The auction will last one week March 7th. - March 14th.

Now a little something about my Scrappy Art Totes!

I made my original tote because I wanted something artsy to carry my art supplies in when I go on trips. I also wanted to make something that represented my style, something that combined my artwork with my other passions like my love of scrapbooking and sewing.
I create each of my totes to look like a scrapbook page. They measure 12" x 12 " like the traditional sized scrapbook paper. Fabric and scrap paper are so similar in design and can be layered in the same way. For this tote I used the painting of the little girl "Purity" that I painted a few weeks ago. She is transferred onto a fabric transfer sheet, and sewn on layers of fabric in a cute and whimsical way. This tote and most all my totes are embellished with paper flowers, buttons and ribbons, just like a scrapbook page would be decorated. I added the quote " A life without dreams is like a garden without flowers."
The back side is done in the same way. There is a pocket big enough for your cell phone or any of your treasures. The inside of the tote is lined with a nice soft pink floral and I have a heavy interfacing in between each side to give the tote some heft. I made the straps on this tote extra long, (21 inches) so it can be worn easily over the shoulder.

I will pay for the shipping for this auction.

If you have any questions about this tote or the auction please leave a comment or email me.
Thanks for looking!
Hugs,
Charlie

My Weekend

2010-02-28T20:52:00.004-06:00

Here is my son. He would probably die if he knew I was posting a picture of him on my blog. My daughter knows better, that's why she wont let me take pictures of her. This is a picture of my son's new hair cut. He does it himself. Just the thought of him cutting his own hair cracks me up. He is so particular about it. I guess he can't trust anyone to do what he wants. It's most likely he doesn't want to pay anyone....hehe. The picture is taken with my iphone. I'm so surprised by the good quality. Compared to my old phone it's great. Our iphones are my son's and my newest obsession. He is on top of all the apps that are out and keeps mine up to date. Oh well I had a wonderful weekend because we went to visit him yeterday. He and his dad played golf while I shopped. Then as always we took him out to dinner. He doesn't live that far from us and he comes home quite a bit, but I still miss him. Today was spent with my daughter. She has a new job and works long hours, so we don't get to see her much either. I'd gladly spend all my time with my kids if I could.

I did manage to finish and take pictures of the item I will be donating to the auction. I made another scrappy art tote and can't wait to post it. The auction starts next Sunday March 7th. It will go for a week. You will have to go to Inspiration Avenue blog to bid on any of the items.
I will post my item here this week and then it will go up on the team blog Saturday.
It would be greatly appreciated if you would blog about the auction on your blog. The money is going to a good charity, so the more we can get the word out the better.

Oopsy Daisy

2010-02-23T13:18:00.005-06:00

I just listed these in my Etsy Store Charlotte's Collection. They are from my Oopsy Daisy Collection. There are 5 more to match. These two just happen to by my favorites. Skip on over there to take a gander at the rest.

BTW it actually snowed for about 5 seconds here in good ole S.A. It was neat while it lasted. It is all melted now. It's been a very drizzly, nasty day. A very good day to stay in the p.j's.

I'm glad I got all of these items listed so now I can rest and take it easy. My stomach has never been the same since last Thursday. Don't let anyone tell you that a colonoscopy is a breeze. Mine would not have been so bad if I could have had the procedure at 8:00 am. But noooo my Dr. had mine scheduled at 2:00 pm and of course then he ran an hour late. I was so hungry and weak that the sedatives made me sick. I was the last person to leave. It's so embarrassing. I felt everything too so more sedation. I guess I'm a whimp. Everyone else is laughing and talking because they are high on the drugs. Not me. So the lesson to take from this is to schedule your procedure as early as possible.
On another note I sold my scrappy art tote almost as soon as I listed it. It was such a delightful surprise.

Charity Auction

2010-02-20T16:47:00.004-06:00

Inspiration avenue is planning an art auction. It will run from March 7th - 14th. They will be donating 100% of the proceeds to the Award winning charity, Angel Faces.

About the Charity
These girls have facial disfigurements due to burns and are taught how to overcome the social challenges that they face every day because they look different. They are counseled one on one and in group settings. These girls get to participate in therapeutic art through mosaics, jewelry making, drawing, journaling and verbal expression.. These girls get to be themselves for one whole week, without being judged. These young ladies experience amazing psychological transformations during this week. Some of their comments, stories and photos are on the Angel Faces website. You can click the above link for more information.

There will be loads of original art from all the members of Inspiration Avenue for you to bid on. I'm sure there will be something for everyone. Don't miss out on this great opportunity to help the girls at Angel Faces and buy some art at the same time.
I will be donating an item from my Etsy shop or maybe something new.
Stay tuned for more information.

Sneek Peek

2010-02-17T08:42:00.004-06:00

Tada! Here is what I've been working on for the past few weeks. Remember a couple of weeks ago I stated that I was working on a new project.....Take a peek. I have not decided what to call it yet. If you can't tell what it is.... it's a tote. I've made one other one as well because I thought I should have more then one to offer when I list it in my Etsy shop. But I goofed it up a little......I'm sooooo upset. My brain has been a scrambling with ideas. My hands can't seem to work fast enough. I've been sewing and cutting and having all kinds of fun designing. But....now I'm sort of at a stand still so think I'll regroup and list this by itself. I think....hehe. I'm so undecided!
Today will not be a good day for me, because I have to start taking that awful stuff in preparation for my colonoscopy tomorrow. YUK!!! I'm not looking forward to that. I'm only trying to get in as much work this morning before the you know what kicks in! Wish me luck!
Hugs,
Charlie

Heart

2010-02-13T21:11:00.004-06:00

This weeks challenge at Inspiration Avenue is Heart.
So here is my little Valentine to all of you.
Enjoy!
x0x0x0x0
Charlie

Please visit IA by clicking the above link to see all the entries.

An early Valentines for Me

2010-02-12T09:11:00.004-06:00

I can't believe Valentine's is this Sunday! Where has the time gone? I have done absolutely nothing for Valentines yet. I need to go shopping and get my hubby a little something. He usually buys me a box of chocolates and then he's the one who eats them all. lol. Too cute! I don't mind. I'll eat a couple out of the box but I know they are mainly for him.
It's a silly holiday anyway. I guess since I have someone in my life I don't think about it much. I don't care if I get anything.
On that note...lol! I told my hubby not to get me anything because I got an iphone a couple of weeks ago. The iphone is my valentines this year. I know I'm spoiled. My son and I have been waiting forever to get off our old cell phone plan. We did not want to break the contract...too expensive. It finally ran out! Free at last! We immediately ran out and got iphones and I absolutely love it! Now I have another toy. I can text now too! I hated to text on my old phone because it took me forever. My old phone did not have the abc keyboard. All I can say is the iphone is great! It's so easy. Love the aps too! ewwhhh I feel so hip now. lol.

Sites In Texas Hill Country

2010-02-09T09:16:00.004-06:00

Can you figure out what this is? Yes it's a camel! A couple of weekends ago my hubby and I went for a drive. We enjoy driving the back roads, because obviously there is so much more to see. Case in point, camels in someones front yard! I had to stop and take pictures. But of course by the time we turned around and I ran across the highway, climbed on the fence to take the picture, they (the camels) started marching to the back yard. I only got their back side.
All I can say is Only In Texas! lol!

Yummy Texture

2010-02-04T08:56:00.003-06:00

"Texture Picture"

I've been working on a new project and it's taking me longer then expected. I'm so excited about it! I'm stirring up a big mess in my studio and my house, but that's a good thing. It means my creative juices are flowing. I must have a one track mind because I have not been able to work on anything else. I'm a woman obsessed. I have not made any new jewelry for my etsy shop. I have not worked in any of the photoshop classes, so nothing new to show there. I have not been here to blog either. I don't mean to neglect any one but like I said I'm a woman obsessed and can't do anything else until I finish this project.
Above is a texture picture I took last week or the week before when I went out to look for texture shots for the photoshop class. Thank goodness I did it then because it's been raining here ever since. I'm so tired of the rain! And so ready for spring.
Hugs,
Charlie

Pure

2010-01-30T09:21:00.007-06:00

"Purity"

This weeks challenge at Inspiration Avenue is Pure. I could not think of anything else as pure as a child, so I decided to paint a little girl. It's my interpretation of a vintage picture that I have in my stash of goodies. I changed it up a tad to make it my own. I named my version Purity. I used acrylic paints on watercolor paper, embellishments for the flowers and added a few inked stamps for more interest.
Check out the other entries here at Inspiration Avenue after the noon deadline.
Thanks for looking.
Charlie

Sunshine Award

2010-01-28T12:06:00.009-06:00

"Sunshine Award"

I received this lovely blog award from two very special friends of mine....Maggie from The Magpie's Nest and Stephanie from Dragonfly Design Studios. A very sincere thank you goes out to both of you for thinking of me.

Maggie is a wonderful graphic artist who designs beautiful collage sheets and giclee art prints. She sells them in her Etsy store Magpie Mine.

"Wintry Women"

This is only one example of the type of work she does. Please check out all she has to offer. I love her work and I get lost in a retro fantasy as I browse through her huge selection.

My dear friend Stephanie paints like a dream. Her subject of choice is flowers from her garden. This is one of my favorite...

"Efflorescence"

You can find her work here in her etsy store. She sells original paintings, greeting cards, and ACEO cards...and if this is not enough she also likes to make altered books.
Both ladies are so very talented and I'm honored to know them.

So the rules for accepting the Sunshine award are

~ Put the logo on your blog or within your post
~ Pass the award onto 12 bloggers ~
~ Link the nominees within your post ~
~ Let the nominees know they have received this award by commenting on their blog.
~ Share the love and link to the person from whom you received this award.

Here are my nominees:

Bunny @ I'm Just Sayin

Lisa @ The Wright Stuff

LuLu @ Coastal Sisters

Luthien @ Pimp & Paint

Pat @ Images Through an Open Window

Sherry @ Everyday Possibilities

Tammy @ Art and Inspirations

Please click all above links and enjoy these beautiful people.

For The Love Of Horses

2010-01-26T20:33:00.008-06:00

This morning I drove home to visit my mom and sisters. I had a little time and the weather was so beautiful I had to stop off to take a few pictures. I love horses,... always have. When I was young we raised a few, but mostly my dad was a cattleman.... If you do not know, most ranchers like to raise one or the other. You either breed horses or you breed cows. I'm sure there is an exception but lets not go there. My dad did not like horses. He said they were hay burners.

I have been wanting to stop and take pictures of these horses for a while now. To me it looked like a small farm with a few horses here and there. There are always at least 3 or 4 horses scattered under the trees. It's on the way...right on the highway to Gonzales. It's such a picturesque site... horses grazing under the trees. I love it! I pulled off the road and jumped out of the car and took a few shots.
While I was there the owner drove up in his atv and told me his mares had some babies. He told me to drive up to the gate and they were right there for me to take pictures. So I did. It was just up the road.

"So Sweet"

Colt

The owner Mr. Jordan let me into the pen with the mares and colts. He had four babies which were only a few days old. The horses were surprisingly gentle and tame. Anyone could tell they were well taken care of.

"Buddy The Stallion"

I could not leave without taking a few shots of Mr. Jordan's prize stallion Buddy.
Mr Jordan the owner of this ranch breeds these horses to sell. He is such a nice man. I'm so glad I finally stopped to smell the roses....errr take a few photos. Dummy me did not realize that this place was horse ranch. I never noticed the amount of horses there before on my many trips to Yoakum. Goes to show you learn something every day. Oh and talk is cheap in small towns. I learned lots of gossip to tell my sisters and mom. The man ...Mr. Jordan knows some of my relatives. I love days like these...lol!